MUSIC

Verizon Wireless Theater presents Erykah Badu.

Erykah Badu was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1971 as Erica Abi Wright. Erykah was raised by her mother and grandmother after their father walked out on them. By the young tender age of 4 Erykah had already begun to show her talent and started performing with her mother Dallas Theater Centre. Soon Erykah decide it was time to peruse her own career.

Erykah attended Booker T. Washington High, Dallas’s performing arts magnet school, as a dance student. At the age of 14 she could be heard on a local radio stations around Dallas. In high school Erykah was giving the nickname MC Apples, and would freestyle with a friend and start a female rap duo. Soon after Erykah had decided to change her name . Erykah - “kah” being a Muslim word for “can do no wrong” and Badu which means to “manifest truth and light” in Arabic.

After high school, Erykah study theater at Grambling State University. Erykah decided to concentrate fully on her music career and left the University in 1993 before graduating. She took on several minimum wage jobs to support herself. She often taught drama and dance to children at the South Dallas Cultural Center

In order for Erykah to make a name for herself she teamed up with her cousin Robert “Free” Bradford, and together they started a new hip-hop team, know as Erykah Free. Together they put out a 19-song demo, called Country Cousins; this attracted the attention of Kedar Massenburg, who eventually signed her to a solo record deal with Universal Records.

Erykah’s earlier musical influence were Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan Erykah has often been labeled the queen of neo soul, sporting a jazzy bassy kind of sound along the likes of Billy Holiday.

Erykah is known for her spiritual image, as well as her trademark head wraps. Erykah has stated that her success is something she knew would happen all along, art and creativity seems to come natural to her and no one every told her she couldn’t do it. Erykah has always said that she is not going to be punching a clock anytime soon. She states that in order to survive in this world she needs to define herself as an individual, to have her own name, and be a complete person. She hopes to one day open a dance and art school of her own.

Erykah is currently involved as an activist in South Dallas where she grew up. Her charity organization, Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development (B.L.I.N.D.) provides community-driven development for inner-city youth through music, dance, theater and visual arts.

Erykah has two children a son, Seven whose father is André 3000 of OutKast and a daughter Puma from West Coast rapper The D.O.C.

Erykah has since put out 5 albums to date they are:
Baduizm (1997), Live (1997), Mama’s Gun (2000), Worldwide Underground and New Amerykah, two of which went platinum and 1 that, went gold.

Along with her musical career Erykah is a talented actress starring in such films as Blues Brothers 2000, The Cider House Rules and Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, as well as making a special appearance on the sitcom Girlfriends. She has been nominated for several Grammy’s.